


you'll find us chasing the sun

by blifuys



Series: it's a big world outside [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stardew Valley, Courting Rituals, Developing Relationship, Farmer Tsukishima, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Non-Explicit Crop Violence, Poor Naming, Rancher Kuroo, Romantic Chicken Chasing, the ritual is to chase chickens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22205296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blifuys/pseuds/blifuys
Summary: Summer weighs heavy on his mind. Kuroo longs for a tall glass of cold water, longs to sit down in his soft, plush sofa as he reads a book under the cooling breeze of his stand fan. But fate has decided that he shall not be blessed with such luxuries today, for his chicken has broken out of its coop and runs for freedom through Stardew Valley,and it heads north, straight into Tsukishima's farm.or: how to fall in love, one chicken at a time.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Series: it's a big world outside [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598422
Comments: 7
Kudos: 63





	you'll find us chasing the sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beansproutlets](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=beansproutlets).



> the tradition of christmas is but only the figment of societal structure. we know not that christmas takes place in the gentle flurry of snow, the touch of cold on one's nose, and the sweet, thick smell of eggnog in the air. 
> 
> somewhere, across the world, across the ocean and in the midst of a city borne by sweat and blood, christmas takes place under the burn of summer and the sun's wrath, for the timing of christmas is but a figment of the populace's imagination. 
> 
> merry christmas, kuroo myotsurou, and here is a gift for you and your yeehaw chicken lovin' ways.
> 
> (a hq!! x stardew valley fic that i did not know i needed, but have done anyway.)
> 
> HAPPY KUROTSUKKI DAY!

The world is ending.

Okay—no. The world is definitely not ending, but Kuroo might as well say that it is. The sunlight beats down on his head, leaving the top of his straw hat heating up dangerously quick—enough for an egg to sizzle around the edges if he decided to cook breakfast on top of his head. Letting the scent of food coax any animal hiding around the forest out into the open and towards him.

It’s sweltering. He feels his skin begin to burn under the oppressive intensity of the sun—the way his shoulders and biceps are uncomfortably hot as they peek out under his tank top. He feels like a piece of lumber that Bokuto might chop off from a tree, burning to a crisp in a flame sitting on the fireplace.

There is only a bit of time before a preventable sunburn happens, and he might even have to go to bed slathered in the sticky slimy aloe vera cream Yachi so insistently gave him once. _It helps with sunburn_ , she had said then with grin rivalling the brightest, prettiest sunflower. And like an _idiot_ , he had scoffed at her suggestion then, undeservedly confident that _I don’t get sunburns_ while shooting the most effortless smirk quirking up the side of his lips as the smaller woman rolled her eyes.

Kuroo knows that he’s not the _smartest_ man in the world sometimes.

There is nothing he can do about it, though. There is no way he can go back indoors just yet, even if the sun burns the town and sets the paths alight with all the wrath mustered in its hellish glow, because he is running straight up the path to the farm.

 _Tsukishima Kei’s_ farm.

Not that he has any reservations about imposing on Tsukki, not really. He _relishes_ in it, creeping around Tsukishima’s crops and making a straight beeline to the farmhouse to see his favourite blonde, and revel in _that one_ glare. The one that sends Kuroo’s heart racing a marathon—pounding fuelled by pursed lips that’s borderline _pouting_ , the way his honey-brown eyes curl into half-moons when he glares.

Love as he might, there is nothing stopping from Tsukki filleting him straight down to the bone today, with _why_ he’s going to the farm at mach speed—under sweltering, muggy heat. This is obviously _not_ a part of his plan to get the Immoveable Tsukishima Kei to finally entertain his offer of a dinner at the Stardrop Saloon and a night filled with fresh brew and Akaashi’s _mouthwatering_ grilled pike stew. He thinks himself smooth, suave even if he’s really pushing it, but even he knows that this incident alone will probably knock him back a few steps on his laundry list to get Tsukki by his side.

In front of him, the tiny shadow speeds off into the plot of land, where the stalks of wheat blow gently in the summer breeze. It disappears, and Kuroo thinks this is it, this is where he dies.

His chicken, his _precious_ Nugget is now missing, hidden and perfectly blended in between crops that Tsukishima has very carefully cultivated—probably with his whole heart and soul, even.

The world is ending. He’s going to die from the heat, or even worse—Tsukishima’s fury when the blonde sees him trampling on his wheat field like one of Kuroo’s goats, flattening or crushing crop that took ages to cultivate.

He takes one careful step into the field, watching the way the tips of the wheat brush against his hip as he eases himself in. There is probably only one safe way out of this, to chase Nugget out of the field in its entirety before he’s missing one beloved hen from his coop. It’s easy to find where she is, judging from where the stems shake, she’s not gone too far from where he is, and he might make it out of there yet.

Slowly. One big step, another big step, careful and steady—

“What on earth are you doing.”

Ah. Fuck.

Tsukki shouldn’t look as beautiful as he is, standing in front of field of hues and shades—different blossoms sprouting from the ground as the light bounces off of the petals, illuminating each and every petal as the colour spills from their steps like water.

He honestly looks like he’s in a painting. He spots the way Tsukishima’s brow crinkles just the way he likes it, in a manner that tells Kuroo that he’s not _mad_ , but mildly perturbed. Maybe a little annoyed. His forehead glistens under the sun as the sweat marks tell Kuroo that he’s been standing there for a while. Tsukki has a hose in his hand, leisurely hanging off his hand as he waters his flowerbeds, and Kuroo has to wonder how anyone has any business looking _like that_ while they tend to their plants.

Either he’s extremely dehydrated, or he can actually feel his mouth beginning to water as his eyes trace up the back of the man’s legs and over the curve of his posterior, before eyeing the way those thin arms peek out from under his shirt sleeves. His head feels thick, and his ears feel like they’ve been stuffed with the cotton sitting in the sacks in Kuroo’s barn. Maybe he shouldn’t stare too long, Tsukishima’s lithe frame—revealed by the loose, thin layers of clothing—is starting to become a health hazard, and he can’t die before his chicken returns home safe and sound.

“Um. I’m catching Nugget?” Kuroo very unhelpfully tells Tsukishima, only to earn the puzzled quirk of the blonde’s brow above the rim of his thick glasses—seriously, those are _thick_ , how can he see without them?

“Nugget?”

“Yeah, my— _uh,_ my chicken.”

There is a very pregnant pause. Tsukishima looks down to his hose, quickly reaching down to twist the nozzle tightly shut to prevent water from leaking from the tip—and down his wrist. He watches the water droplets flick onto the damp soil under Tsukki, before his eyes meet his again.

“You do realise how fucked up that is, right. Calling your chicken _Nugget_.”

Before Kuroo replies, he hears a rustle from the other end of the wheat field, and almost instantaneously, the stalks stop rustling and swaying with movement. No, _no no no_ , he doesn’t have time to chat.

“NUGGET,” He hollers, the panic rising in his chest again as he dashes through the entirety of the field, hot on the heels of his runaway bird, “Come back!”

He hears crunching behind him, but he doesn’t have _time_ to worry about that. He’ll compensate Tsukishima later, he’ll pay him with gold or a whole chicken of his own, but Kuroo Tetsurou only has one goal in mind—to return Nugget to her coop and take a long, cold shower. He longs for it, the cool water over his aching muscles and burning skin, and perhaps he’d reward himself with a good day’s work with grilled fish—but that has to wait. He is a man on a mission, eyes on the prize in the form of a very stubborn chicken who refuses to go home, but Kuroo Tetsurou is no quitter.

His legs begin to move like clockwork as he chases the tiny menace, and— _what the fuck did she eat today, God why is she so_ fast _—_ he finds himself being led back into the fields. He thinks Nugget might dodge him, her warpath seemingly through the vibrant meadow of flowers that Tsukishima had so painstakingly watered, when she makes a sharp turn left.

Tsukishima stands where she would have turned, looking like he’d rather go _home_ than to chase a chicken in the stifling hand of summer. Kuroo does not expect him to, but he watches Tsukishima jog after Nugget himself from the other direction—seemingly to help him corner her.

“Can you _please_ ,” Tsukki shouts while he runs, and Kuroo watches as Nugget race like a tiny bolt of lightning through the smallest arches of wooden fences, turn sharp corners and just defy the laws of physics altogether, “Keep your fucking chicken _in your coop_?”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” He breathes out, his chest heaving while he tails the animal. While this shouldn’t be making him smile as hard as it is, he feels quite exhilarated—the adrenaline rushing down his spine and through his body as he feels the pounding of his heart in every limb, “She jumped out my arms while I was feeding Noodle Soup and Teriyaki!”

“I hope you know how fucked up you are, naming your chickens after _food!_ ” He knows. But it doesn’t make him love his chickens any lesser, holding them in his arms like soft pillow while he feels them sink into his arms like a warm blob of jello.

Nugget sprints into a large opening in the north of Tsukishima’s farm, into the wreck of what seems to be an old greenhouse. The wreckage—or at least, the remainders—do not seem like a hazard, simply worn down to time and disuse, but he treads cautiously over bits of time-eaten wood and stone as he and Tsukishima enter the area from opposing sides.

“Nugget,” He calls out, very very silently, those striking amber eyes honing in on his bird like a predator, hands already beginning to reach out to grab her once and for all. “C’mere, sweetie.”

He slowly walks, and he feels the second body behind him slowly move away from him, presumably to give Kuroo some space to claim his chicken again. He’s close enough to see the gentle speckle of brown-and-gold on Nugget’s neck, her pure-white chest moving in and out quickly as she moves away from her owner, towards the corner of the greenhouse where there doesn’t seem to be any escape in sight.

Finally. Finally, he can get Nugget home and get that shower he’s lusted after for _hours_. The thoughts of sitting down makes him quake a little with excitement, and the thought of downing an ice cold glass of water seems to hit the spot _just right_.

“Let’s go home,” He whispers once he’s gotten Nugget close enough, “We’ve disturbed mister Tsukishima enough…”

He crouches down on his knees, feeling the small bits of rock press into his loose jeans—not his skin, thankfully. He’s cautious enough, trying _so hard_ to not frighten her—and for a split second he thinks he’s done it. He’s recaptured his _daughter_ , stopped her from her latest episode of rebellion by running from Papa and his scheduled curfew from her.

But chickens are nastily intelligent, and Kuroo is a fool for thinking that this would be easy. Without realising, Nugget’s already spotted a gap—a small opening enough for her to escape the clutches of her owner and bask in freedom just a little longer. She already moves to dodge when he reaches out, his fingers brushing against that gorgeously smooth coat, and a dread rushes through Kuroo when he realises— _shit, I’m gonna have to chase after her AGAIN._

But her jailbreak doesn’t happen.

Without realising, a second pair of hands reach out, fingers spread wide as they press into Nugget’s sides, trapping the escaped convict in her path. And finally, _finally_ , she stops moving, enough for Kuroo to scoop her back up and head home.

“How is it that you’re the rancher, but you can’t even catch your own chicken?” Tsukishima asks from his position, crouched himself as he moves closer to Kuroo so that Nugget won’t attempt to squeeze through any gaps. His side presses up against Kuroo, and the heat of summer-burned skin rushes through the older man while his heart jumps in his chest in realisation that Tsukki’s close. He’s so utterly close, they’re touching, their faces are so so close.

“Well. I guess you’re the better one at catching things,” Kuroo’s lips curl into an easy smirk while he reaches out to place his hands on Nugget as well, feeling her heated body under his fingers and on his palms, “This isn’t the first time you’ve caught something of mine.”

“Oh?” Tsukishima asks, even though he _probably_ knows where this is going. This is a start, a very _good_ start, where months ago he would he brushed Kuroo off in heavy spite and scorn, honey-brown eyes burning death into Kuroo if he even so _dared_ to look at him, “What else did I catch then, Kuroo-san?”

“Me,” Kuroo’s smirk spreads fully into a grin, like an eagle spreading its wings wide as it soars through the sky, “When I fell for you, that is.”

He doesn’t know if it’s the right time. He knows that Tsukishima’s shown hesitance towards him in the past, distain even in certain times, and he won’t be surprised if his latest advance is met with heavy opposition. A yell, a sneer, a grimace—anything that could tell Kuroo to back off with his direct attempts.

But it doesn’t come.

He’s greeting with a feeling on his lips, tingling sensation spreading through him. While it’s not the fireworks he’s been expecting, it’s something even _better_ , a gentle flame flickering in his heart as he realises—

Tsukishima is kissing him.

_Tsukishima is kissing him._

He’s caught off guard, leaving him with his eyes open as Tsukishima presses close to him, lips gently pressed against his while Nugget stays in their gentle, yet firm grasp—shared between two people crouched in a silent corner of the farm. Tsukishima is even prettier up close, blonde lashes fanned out and brushing against skin, and he realises how gorgeous red looks on Tsukishima from how the blush tinges the apple of his cheeks like dust.

He doesn’t react quick enough before Tsukki pulls back, and Kuroo feels like time moves on again— _when did the world stop spinning for them both?_

A few seconds pass before Kuroo’s brain starts to work again.

“… Date me?” He asks, his eyes wide with astonishment, the tingle of his lips so _faint_ that he almost thinks that he imagined what had just happened, if not for how close Tsukishima stays against him. In response, the blonde man picks Nugget up with both his hands, strong and steady as he keeps her from moving too much, before he gently presses the warm body against Kuroo’s chest.

Kuroo’s arms move up to wrap around Nugget in a learned response, but his eyes stay on Tsukishima.

“Maybe, if you don’t let chickens loose into my farm again.”

His brain is clearly lagging, because before he realises, Tsukishima’s already parted from him, far away as he leaves through the opening they entered from. In his arms, the chicken clucks at him like she _knows_ , the utter teasing in her little sounds making Kuroo go red and dizzy in the head.

He glares down at her, lips upturned while he stands up from his spot.

“You planned this, _didn’t you,_ you little bastard?”

He might have just imagined it, but the proud tilt of Nugget’s head tells him that he’s underestimated her for far too long.

**Author's Note:**

> bokuto: BRO THE OTHER DAY YOUR CHICKEN RAN PAST ME WHILE I WAS TRYING TO TAKE A PHOTO OF AKAASHI WANNA SEE
> 
> kuroo: sure
> 
> the picture in question:  
> 
> 
> [scream about kurotsukki or other stuff with me here!!](https://twitter.com/nekohmy)


End file.
